Ankita Sandeep Hadfadkar vs State of Goa, Thr. Chief Secretary and 3 Ors. — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Ankita Sandeep Hadfadkar vs State of Goa, Thr. Chief Secretary and 3 Ors. — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Rule made absolute: the Public Works Department is to issue an appointment letter to the Petitioner for the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) with effect from the same date as the other candidates under the same recruitment process, with all consequential benefits flowing from the date of the initial appointment.

Issue for consideration

Whether the Petitioner, whose OBC caste status was verified and her certificate validated by the Scrutiny Committee, is entitled to an appointment letter to the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Public Works Department with effect from the same date as the other candidates under the same recruitment process, together with all consequential benefits.

Court's answer

On the Scrutiny Committee confirming and validating the Petitioner's OBC certificate, the Petitioner is entitled to be issued an appointment letter to the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) by the Public Works Department.

Ratio / Principle

The appointment letter issued to the Petitioner shall carry effect from the same date as the appointment letters issued to the other candidates under the same recruitment process.

Key takeaways

All consequential benefits shall flow to the Petitioner based upon the appointment from the date of the initial appointment as granted to all other candidates under the same recruitment process.ratio¶6

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Recruitment – Public Works Department, Goa – Post of Junior Engineer (Civil) – Petitioner selected against one of 9 reserved OBC vacancies; her appointment kept pending awaiting caste verification while other candidates were appointed with effect from 31.01.2024 – Pursuant to the High Court's order of 27.01.2026, the Scrutiny Committee of the Director of Social Welfare verified her claim and, by Judgment and Order dated 29.04.2026, confirmed she belongs to the Bhandari Naik community recognised as OBC, validating her OBC Certificate dated 08.01.2019 as a valid OBC (non-creamy layer) Certificate – Held, the Petitioner will have to be issued an appointment letter to the post of Junior Engineer (Civil), taking effect from the same date as the other candidates under the same recruitment process, and all consequential benefits shall flow from the date of the initial appointment – Rule made absolute. (Oral judgment per Valmiki Menezes, J.; Coram: Valmiki Menezes & Amit S. Jamsandekar, JJ.)

2026:BHC-GOA:996-DB

Suzana.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY AT GOA

WRIT PETITION NO.381 OF 2026

Ankita Sandeep Hadfadkar, Aged 27 years, Indian National, R/o. Golna Waddo, Pomburpa, Bardez Goa.

... Petitioner.

versus

State of Goa, Through Chief Secretary, Having office at Secretariat, Porvorim-Goa.

Office of the Principal Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, Althinho-Panaji, Goa.

The Dy. Director (Administration), Public Works Dept, Althinho, Panaji-Goa.

The Director (Administration), Public Works Department, Althinho, Panaji Goa. Respondents.

Mr. S. D. Lotlikar, Senior Advocate with Ms. Clarisa Fernandes, Advocate for the Petitioner.

Ms. Akshata N. Bhat, Additional Government Advocate for Respondents.

Page 1 of 3

6^th May 2026

CORAM: VALMIKI MENEZES & AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, JJ.

^th MAY, 2026.

ORAL JUDGMENT: ( Per. Valmiki Menezes, J.)

Registry to waive office objections and register the Writ Petition.

Rule. Rule is made returnable forthwith with the consent of the learned Counsel for the parties.

Pursuant to our Order of 27.01.2026, the Director of Social Welfare, through its Scrutiny Committee, has conducted scrutiny to verify the caste status of the Petitioner, who was claiming to belong to the OBC category. This was upon the Petitioner having been selected to the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) in the Public Works Department, one amongst 9 reserved vacant posts in the category of OBC.

In the meantime, other candidates were given the appointment letters appointing them with effect from 31.01.2024 and the Petitioner’s appointment was kept pending awaiting the caste verification.

Page 2 of 3 6^th May 2026

The Scrutiny Committee has now completed the process of caste verification and by its Judgment and Order dated 29.04.2026, has confirmed that the Petitioner belongs to the Bhandari Naik community which is recognized as OBC. Accordingly, the OBC Certificate dated 08.01.2019 which was used by the Petitioner for the purpose of the recruitment process was declared verified and validated as a valid OBC (non-creamy layer) Certificate. As a consequence, therefore, the Scrutiny Committee has confirmed the Certificate produced by the Petitioner during the recruitment process for the post of Junior Engineer (Civil).

Based on these facts, therefore, consequently, the Petitioner will have to be issued an appointment letter to the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) by the Public Works Department. Needless to state that the appointment letter shall be with effect from the same date as has been issued to the other candidates under the same recruitment process. All consequential benefits shall flow based upon the appointment from the date of the initial appointment, as granted to all other candidates under the same process.

7. Rule is made absolute in the aforesaid terms.

AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, J. VALMIKI MENEZES, J.

Page 3 of 3 6^th May 2026

Signed by: MARIA SUZANA REBELLO Designation: Personal Assistant Date: 06/05/2026 15:06:55